Race 1 of Round 3 in the 2025 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship’s ASB1000 category saw local hero Keito Abe of SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES storm to a commanding victory at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, delighting his home fans with a flawless performance on familiar ground.
In qualifying, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of the JDT RACING TEAM claimed pole position with a blistering fastest lap time of 1’49.661s. Keito lined up alongside him in second with 1’49.871s, while Japan’s wild card rider Sho Nishimura of JAPAN POSTHonda Racing completed the front row with an impressive 1’49.907s.
At the start, Hafizh Syahrin made a strong getaway for JDT RACING TEAM but was immediately overtaken by Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND. Soon, in the second turn, Hafizh’s front tyre clipped Nakarin’s rear tyre, forcing Hafizh wide and off the track.
On lap 4, Keito made his move, overtaking Nakarin to seize the lead and began pushing hard to open up a gap at the front. Meanwhile, Hafizh, determined to recover, rejoined the race and fought back heroically to climb to eleventh position. Unfortunately, his charge ended heartbreakingly on lap 8 when he crashed while pushing to the limit, visibly frustrated trackside.
The battle for the lead continued between Keito and Nakarin until lap 11, Nakarin crashed out, allowing Azroy Hakeem Anuar of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA to move up to second and attempt to close the gap to Keito.
Displaying exceptional composure and confidence on home asphalt, Keito Abe maintained a safe margin, keeping Azroy at bay and charging past the chequered flag to win the race at 24’06.975s. The IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA duo, Azroy and Zaqhwan, completed the podium at 24’07.671s and 24’10.535s respectively.
Keito stated, “It was a really tough race because the tyres were quite slippery, so I had to stay calm and manage both my mindset and tyre condition all the way through. I’m so happy to win here on home soil, it feels amazing! I want to thank my team so much for their great work and for giving me a fantastic bike today.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
- Keito Abe – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (24’06.975s)
- Azroy Hakeem Anuar – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’07.671s)
- Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’10.535s)
- Sho Nishimura – JAPAN POSTHonda Racing (24.18.985s)
- Motoharu Ito – MOTO BUM HONDA (24.19.226s)